At court Instagram
Since the early 1900's, the royal family has spent their summers on Öland. In the coming week, we will publish pictures from Solliden, taken from the Bernadotte Library's photo archive.
The Solliden Palace was built as a summer residence for Sweden's future Queen Victoria and was completed in 1906. The Queen suffered from bad health and sought a place where she could escape from the big city. On Öland, she found a climate that alleviated her pains and an environment that gave her peace and quiet.
The first photo shows the Palace during the construction in 1905. Building materials were transported over Kalmarsund to Solliden's newly landed port and then transported to the building in small railway wagons. The railway tracks are seen in the foreground. The Swedish-Norwegian Union flag crowns the building.
In the second photo, Crown Prince Victoria is seen in Öland dress, photographed in the summer of 1906.https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk7JIRDn...-by=kungahuset

Another photo from court Instagram, today:
Here you can see the Palace around 1910. Today the trees in the park around the Palace have grown up, but 100 years ago it looked different. The park has a so-called "rock garden", which was popular in the parks of the past. Photo from photo archive of the Bernadotte Library.https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk972JPH...-by=kungahuset

The court publishes this week photos from Solliden at their Instagram. The photos are from photo archive of the Bernadotte Library.
Queen Victoria died in 1930. She left Solliden in her will to her husband Gustaf V. Gustaf V opened the Palace park to public, he had Mainau as a model.
In this photo from the end of 1940's are King Gustaf V and princess Sibylla with princesses Birgitta, Margaretha, Christina and Désirée and prince Carl Gustaf.https://www.instagram.com/p/BlAA5henVUm/

Svensk Damtidning had at last week's issue an article about Solliden Palace. They had interviewed Leo Eriksson, the warden and palace architect of Solliden, and also the king was interviewed.
Leo Eriksson says that the walks which were at the park in 1910, are still there. So the king has made a cultural act, it is a fantastic culture treasure which has been preserved. The king is very involved in everything at Solliden. Eriksson says that the king has a three-dimensional view. As an architect, you practice it, but for him, the images only come there. We have a prestigious and creative conversation. The king also has a very healthy view on how to preserve the Palace, he is keen to maintain the simplicity of Queen Victoria's days.
Eriksson says that inside the Palace everything is quite stable, they changed a couple of years ago the palace's electric stove which had been there 60 years. But otherwise the changes are only the open fireplace in the entrance hall, and a clothes room and guest toilet in the 1950's which princess Sibylla let built in the 1950's. The royal family doesn't normally use the main entrance, they use the kitchen entrance. In addition to that, there is also a stairway to the pergola.

The king:
I have understood that the king has many ideas about the business here?
- Yes, you must have that. I have ideas about everything. I inherited this from my great-grandfather Gustaf V basically when I was born and since then I have felt more and more for it. I try to bring the inheritance to the best, it's not always that easy. There is a lot to be done here, it's staff and a garden that is always changing in some way.
When you see the royal family's beautiful white summer castle, you imagine that it should be very bright inside. So is not it really?
- No, the inside is not really what the outside shows, It's actually quite dark. That was the price Queen Victoria had to pay to get an Italian outside, less light inside. At the same time when it is very hot, it can be quite nice.

There is no wallpapers at the palace. And the room of the Haga princesses is still at the third floor, there all bedrooms are. Eriksson says, that at the room nothing has been changed, there are same furniture than then. Also Axel Munthe's is still there. In 1976 the king and queen got as wedding gift interior decoration to two rooms, the other has bright green walls and the other strong blue.
Svensk Damtidning got also the first look to the novelty of the private part of the garden, the new trellis down beside queen Victoria's old well. The meaning is that there is going to be hanging roses, and not just any roses. Eriksson tells that they are roses which king Carl Gustaf has got as a gift from queen Margrethe, very fine roses from her garden.
To walk at the palace park is an experience. Solliden has been open for public since king Gustaf V decided to open it, long before king Carl Gustaf was born. Eriksson says that it wouldn't be possible for the royal family to keep the park and garden if it wasn't open for public. But it also means that the royal family has to leave the Palace at ten o'clock every day and that they can't return before 18.00.
So when you come to Solliden, the royal family is usually there, just in the other part of the park. And there is a sure way to see if the king or crown princess is "at home", then the royal flag with either the big or small coat of arms is raised to the flagpole in front of the Palace.

Today and tomorrow there are the "Family Days" at Solliden.
At the program
You can meet and cuddle small animals and plant your own flower and take it home. Visit the Solliden machine park and the old playhouse of the Haga princesses is open for public. The Royal Stables has two horses and carriages in Lindallén. You can ride with a pony. Anki and Putte are performing at the park. You can try to throw clay with Lotta & Mary. There is also a tractor safari with guiding for children. You can make your own hamburger at Cottage Café and there is a fairytale moment under a hanging beech tree.Sollidens familjedagar